William bergner



(No Model.)

W. BERGNER. ALBUM CASE.

NO.-' 478,390. Patented July 5, 1892.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BERGNER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO F. BERGNER & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

A L B U M C A S E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,390, dated July 5, 1892.

Application filed April 8, 1892- Serial No. 428,276. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, WILLIAM BERGN R, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Album-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an album case or cover for photograph-albums,

to which case is so constructed that without in jury to the cover the general outward appearance of the case may be changed in a great variety of ways, thus substantially serving the purpose of a variety of albums and pre- I5 venting the album-case from becoming monotonous and uninteresting. 'lhephotographs which are inclosed within this album-case may be either ordinary mounted photographs or put in loose album-sheets or a full photograph-album with or without a cover, as desired.

My invention relates to the case or cover of the album and not to its use as a complete album or as a portfolio for loose sheets or photographs. Sometimes the album-case is provided with a stand'or base preferably attached in such a way that the case stands a little inclined from the perpendicular. Sometimes this base is so arranged that the al- 0 bum lies either flat or at a slight angle. Sometimes the base is dispensed With and the album-case is used like an ordinary portable album or portfolio. case opens longitudinally as a single cover 5 and sometimes transversely as a folding cover. In the former case my improved device by which the changeable appearance is produced is attached, preferably, to the center of the cover. In the case-of a folding cover, one of 40 such devices is preferably attached to each fold of the cover. I

My invention consists in an album-case made of two or more pieces of suitable material hinged together and provided on the .outer face with one or more open center frames made of metal, celluloid, wood, leather, or any other material superimposed thereon and secured thereto and adapted to receive within said frames pictures, mirrors, or other orna- 5o mental articles, which may be changed at will Sometimes the albumto alter the looks and appearance of said album-case.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved album-case arranged as a standing album with solid cover. Fig. 2 shows the same arranged as a nearly flat album with folding cover. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show different forms of open-center frames to be applied to the exterior of such albums. Fig. 6 is a side view of the open-center frame shown in Fig. 3.

The same letters indicate similar parts in the different figures.

A A represent the parts of the album-cover which serve to inclose the album, loose sheets, 6 or mounted photographs B and are made of papier-mach, wood, or other suitable stiff material and-usually covered with plush or leather. They are hinged together, as shown at a, and clasped, as shown at b, so that they 0 may open longitudinally, as-shown in Fig. 1, transversely, as shown in Fig. 2, or in any other usual and'convenient manner.

0 is the base-board, which is provided when it is desired that the album-case should be used as a fixed table ornament. This baseboard isdispensed with when the album is used as an ordinary portable album. The changeable ornamental character of this album-case is effected 'by securing to one or more'of the stiff parts or facesA one or more open-center frames D, of any desired regular or irregular outline, but so constructed as to project from the solid part of face A sufficiently to allow a mirror, plaque, photograph, or other ornamentaldevice to be slipped in between the frame and the solid face and ap pear through the open center of said frame. These open-center frames are preferably attached to the solid face A by rivets c in such manner as to prevent the plaque, mirror, or photograph from slipping out of the frame when the album-case is handled and held in different positions. These frames are so arranged that the photograph or mirror may be 5 inserted from the back or front of the cover, as desired. If from the front, the border of the frame may, if desired, be made solid and fitting closely-to the solid face A at all points except where the slot or opening 01 is left for the insertion of a photograph or other ornamental device. For greater security this slot may be provided with a small clasp e, (shown in Fig. 1,) and which when closed will prevent the photograph or other ornamental articie from falling out in any direction.

It is obvious that the owner of one of my improved album-cases can at any time and as often as he pleases give an entirely new and fresh appearance to the album-case by substituting a mirror for a photograph or a plaque for a mirror or one style of photograph for another.

The uses and advantages of my improved album-case are, I think, sufficiently obvious Without further description.

ceive Within said frames ornamental articles which may be changed at will to alter the look and appearance of said album-case, substantially as described, and for the purposes WM. BERGNER.

\Vitnesses:

FRED. BERGNER, J r., MARTIN LAUER. 

